


Something Incredible Waiting to be Known

by morrigone



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-14
Updated: 2016-08-23
Packaged: 2018-08-08 18:13:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7768105
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/morrigone/pseuds/morrigone
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Shiro and Keith are reunited after Kerberos, and they try to pick up where they left off.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Keith:

 

Space is inky black in the mind. It's emptiness, occupied with the occasional floating object, one of which represents everything for humanity. Earth: that periwinkle-emerald mass glittering among dull, colorless space.

For a pilot, however, emptiness is not emptiness, but truly their primary concern.

The wind Keith was flying through whistled, creating riptides that could knock one down were one not in a safe, school-issued vessel. Oh, a stolen school-issued vessel, that was.

Keith was not in space. He was back on earth. Zipping through the atmosphere. Toward his goal. That sounded too sterile, Keith thought. Toward a person. Too vague. A person whom he... Loved. A lot. And who was in danger.

A lot of it.

His fingers teased the accelerator, and Keith wondered how fast he could go without his speed being picked up by the academy sensors that were randomly dispersed around the countryside. He had already disabled his tracker, but any deviation from the speed limit would definitely be detected.

He wove around a pair of trees, narrowly threading them. Easy. Just like the simulations.

The horizon bled watercolor pigments, and zipping towards it he could see the pod dodge into his field of vision once more. Frustrated, he hit the dashboard with the flat part of his palm, feeling a familiar sting as...

 

_Do you realize what you've done?_

_Yes._

_Do you realize you could lose everything you worked so hard for? For good?_

_Yes and yes._

_Well, over thinking isn't going to help. Not when he is crouched outside the director's office. Crouched, because the director is not thoughtful enough to have a waiting room or chairs. Outside, because he has lost his temper. Again._

_"Come in, Kogane."_

_Keith springs up from his squat, forcing the dark thoughts out of his mind._

_He sits down on the very edge of the chair. The director's desk is what Keith would call minimalistic, if Keith were in the mood to be polite. It has no photos of loved ones or any personal touches whatsoever. It has a computer and not much else._

_"Keith."_

_"Yes, sir."_

_The director leans in, and Keith leans back because he is not in the mood to know what the director had for lunch._

_"This is getting to be a... Pattern. Is it not?"_

_"That depends, sir."_

_The director raises his eyebrows, pressing his palms together a bit too tightly._

_"On?"_

_"Whether you stop shitting me and tell me what happened to Shiro."_

_The director smiles. It is an unsettling sort of smile that does not even approach his eyes._

_"Who, Kogane?"_

_"You know damn well who!" Keith slams his hand on the desk, "Takashi Shirogane went missing on Kerberos and nobody's doing anything about it.”_

_The director does not flinch._

_"That's confidential, pilot."_

_"Confidential my a—"_

 

Keith forced himself out of his adrenaline-pumping reverie. There was the pod making contact with the ground. One, two, three…

He flipped his radio on quickly, as the pod was now close enough for them to detect it.

" _crackle —_ got him— _crackle —_ quarantine zone, for securit— _crackle crackle_ "

Keith channeled his rage into navigation. He aggressively rammed his finger on the button controlling the torpedo gun. And…

**BOOM.**

Bingo.

 

"What the—"

Keith slammed the guard to the ground. They were all unconscious now. Including…

Shiro lay on the pull-out cot, oversized limbs dangling over the sides awkwardly. Keith stepped lightly towards him. He reached out, cradling Shiro's face. Shiro’s eyelashes fluttered at the brush of Keith's fingertips. Keith traced his scar. The wound did not look fresh. Scabbed over in light rose, it looked so smooth it could be a tattoo.  He traced the muscular body with his gaze. He hadn't lost any muscle mass, but he looked a lot thinner. Keith touched the sides of his body carefully, as if making sure he was all there. That was when Lance burst in.

"Oh, hell no. We're saving Shiro."

Keith raised his eyebrows.

"Who are you again?"

 

Shiro:

 

What was he thinking? Shiro used to be able to read Keith's mind easily. Now, he wasn't so sure. He looked older, features even more pronounced and handsome than Shiro remembered them. He also looked sadder. That made sense. After all, Shiro hadn't seen him since...

 

_"What's one thing you want more than anything else?"_

_The sky is dotted with stars, each one containing a universe of possibility. Right now, Shiro hopes more than anything that Keith wants to kiss him as much as he wants to kiss Keith. They are sitting on the roof of the academy. Keith is sprawled out on the asphalt. He is one of the shortest in his class, and yet his limbs find a way to take up as much room as humanly possible._

_"That's a new one," Shiro smiles._

_"I'm serious."_

_"I know."_

_Shiro angles his body to face him. Despite being two years older than Keith, he feels like Keith has his life much more together than he does. Shiro is focused, but his mind often gets caught up in cycles of concern. For his friends, and for all who are suffering in this world and beyond. He wants to do something big. It is two days until he leaves for that something:_

_Kerberos._

_And he knows the answer to Keith's question. It's the same for both of them. So he leans toward his best friend and brushes his lips against his cheek._

_"What am I going to do without you?" Shiro murmurs._

_Keith smiles, and it's like the dawn._

_"Something great, probably."_

 

Now that the other boys were gone, Shiro could approach his friend. He touched his shoulder, gripping it cautiously as if Keith would disintegrate if he touched him too suddenly. Nothing seemed real. Shiro was left with mere snapshots of his life on the Galra ship. There was a lot of fighting, though who provoked it and why was still murky for Shiro.

Keith turned and looked him in the eyes for the first time. His eyes were slightly narrowed, as if he too was having trouble believing Shiro was really there.

"I... don't know what to say," said Shiro.

Keith shook his head.

"I'm just glad I got to you in time."

Shiro brushed a strand of hair behind Keith's ear.

"You and Lance were great."

Keith raised his eyebrows in mock confusion.

"Me and who?"

They both laughed, and for a minute it felt as if the barbell was being lifted from Shiro's chest. Suddenly, Shiro felt Keith wrap his arms around his waist and they crumpled into each other. Keith rested his head against Shiro's shoulder. Shiro could feel his friend's heartbeat against his chest. His heart rate was also quite fast with a strange combination of fear and warmth.

"I missed you."

Keith was always blunt. It was one of the things Shiro loved most about him. He never hesitated to speak, and thus he never stumbled over his words. Shiro, on the other hand, was always trying to say the right thing. The diplomatic thing.

"I..."

He felt Keith smile against his shoulder when he faltered, so he decided to just leave it at that.

 

Keith:

 

"Wow, Shiro. It's huge!"

Keith, being objectively the best pilot among them, was excited to see the famed black lion, which Allura had said was "fitting" for Shiro.

Keith could see why. He took in everything from the modern intercom to the control panel, so densely dotted with buttons Keith couldn't believe they all worked.

It was the coolest thing Keith had ever seen.

"Mine's pretty nice, but yours certainly fits... in terms of size."

Shiro laughed, setting himself down in his chair to face Keith, who was leaning against the dashboard.

"Oh, come on. I'm not that huge."

Keith stepped in front of him. He gripped Shiro's arm and squeezed it. The muscle didn't budge. Keith attempted to hide how hot he found it by clearing his throat and scratching the back of his neck.

"What were they feeding you on that ship, anyway? You're ripped."

Shiro didn't laugh. His eyes seemed to glaze over.

"Shiro?"

Keith crouched next to him so they were eye to eye. Shiro blinked, shaking his head as if trying to wake up from a bad dream.

Keith lowered his voice.

"What did they do to you on that ship?"

Speaking seemed to be painful for Shiro.

"They..."

Keith reached out to touch his hand. In the process, he accidentally knocked a panel of buttons with his elbow. The lights flickered off suddenly.

Keith fumbled in the dark, trying to find the switch he had just bumped into.

"Where's the damn--"

He felt strong arms wrap around his waist and he let himself be pulled into Shiro's lap. His feet dangled off the side of the chair. He turned to face Shiro.

In the darkness, the light of the dashboard made Shiro's hair glow even whiter. Keith inhaled slightly. Shiro's prosthetic hand was cold against his back, tracing his spine.

"Shiro..."

"We don't have to talk," Shiro said softly, "Actually I'd rather we didn't... If that's okay."

Keith nodded, holding him around his strong waist and kissing him softly.


	2. Chapter 2

Shiro:

 

It was almost ten at night, which was much later than the bedtime Coran had allocated all of the paladins, but Shiro was feeling restless. He paced the halls of the castle, thinking back to the events of the day, including the Galra soldier whom he had sort of... spoken to.

Shiro felt exposed. He looked down at his prosthetic arm, curling and uncurling the fingers cautiously. It didn't feel like a part of him. Sometimes he got a scare in the night when he would wake up and see a disembodied metal arm lying in bed next to him. Of course, in his head he knew he was being irrational. It was a terrible feeling, however, to be so fearful of a part of your own body.

"Psst."

Shiro started, eyes scanning the room for the source of the whisper.

"Keith..?"

Keith emerged from the training room.

"Hey."

He held his left hand out and Shiro took it with his metal right one. Keith hadn't said anything about the limb yet. Shiro wondered if he too was afraid of it. Or worse, disgusted by it. Shiro's heart felt heavy.

"What are you doing alone in there after what happened?"

Keith shrugged. He seemed entranced by the architecture of the ship, looking anywhere but in Shiro's eyes.

"Why are you wandering the halls?" he asked.

Shiro gave him a look that said 'fair enough.'

They swung their entwined hands a bit between them, feeling the cool air of the ship mix with their combined warmth.

"Come on," Keith said suddenly, "I want to show you something."

He led Shiro by the hand. They picked up their pace a bit, rushing through the milky white halls of Allura's castle. They seemed to have no end until…

Keith stopped abruptly and tapped on a slightly darker panel in the wall. It glowed faintly blue, and then disintegrated as if it had never been solid.

"What..."

"I've been exploring at night. When I can't sleep."

They ducked into a narrow passageway, so dark that all Shiro could feel was Keith's soft palm, and all he could see was blackness.

"How many nights?" Shiro asked softly, because he too had not slept in days.

Keith didn't answer. All of a sudden, the lights flickered on to reveal a cavernous chamber lined with luminescent panels. In the center was a control panel of some sort, which Keith approached confidently.

"It's the virtual reality chamber, isn't it?" Shiro asked, thinking back to Allura's description.

Keith remained silent, pulling Shiro close. Their fingers were still entwined.

Keith placed his other palm on a glass section of the control panel.

"Do you trust me?" he asked.

Shiro smiled. With every fiber of his being, he trusted Keith.

Keith gestured to Shiro's human hand, which he too placed on the control panel.

And then everything was lightness.

 

"Where are we?"

Shiro's voice emerged from the light. Shapes took form, and he heard Keith laugh a bit.

"Of course we would end up here."

He braced himself against a desk and turned to Shiro, who was still looking around blankly. Keith wrapped an arm around his waist (he was aiming for the shoulders but was just a bit too short.) He kissed Shiro lightly on the ear.

"Don't you recognize it?"

Shiro looked around, trying to ignore his arousal from being so close to Keith. The room they were in was painfully generic, from the paintings of horses lining the walls to the gray filing cabinet in the corner.

On the desk, there was one of the oldest computer models, along with a stack of books with titles like "Leadership for the Weak-Willed!" and "Getting People to do What you Want (Without Really Trying)".

Shiro put down a copy of "How I Overcame My Fear of Teenagers" and raised his eyebrows.

"An office..?"

"An office where?"

Shiro strained his mind for some recollection. And then…

"The director's office!"

Keith nodded. He let go of Shiro's hand and sat down in the director's chair. He looked up at the ceiling, throwing his head back and following the fan with his eyes. It was obvious he hadn't slept in quite a long time. He exhibited that unique sort of nonchalance that came with utter and complete exhaustion. Shiro knew the feeling well. Keith sighed.

"I came here... every day. Asking what they were doing to save you. After we knew for sure you were missing, he was training us, I guess, for a rescue mission. I thought we were taking too long. He told me I was too impatient."

Shiro sat on the cheap metal desk, which creaked slightly from his weight. He looked down at his lap, noticing for the first time that his prosthetic arm had been replaced by a human one. He felt up to his hair, which was missing the thinness that had accompanied his exposure to the radiation on the Galra ship. He was suddenly sure it wasn't white anymore either. It seemed that he was, for all intents and purposes, inside Keith's dream.

Shiro absently wondered if there was a virtual director out there as well, wandering the halls.

"You always were the patient one, Takashi."

Shiro shivered a bit, either from the cold of the virtual academy, or from the tender way Keith said his first name.

“You know I wouldn’t have left you. Even if I had died —”

Keith stood up abruptly.

“Don’t even say that. I don’t want to think—”

Shiro silenced him by leaning in and brushing their lips together once. It was enough to make every single one of his hairs stand on end, as if electricity was being exchanged between them an infinite number of times. He wrapped his arms around Keith, pulling him so close that he could smell the floral perfume of the academy-issued deodorant on him. They kissed again, slowly. What point was there in rushing this? They were caught in a dream. They could stay there forever. Shiro placed his hand on Keith’s upper back, feeling the way his muscles responded to the touch and the soft, dry heat radiating off of his body.

Shiro, who was still sitting on the desk, wrapped his legs around Keith’s hips and ran his hands through his hair. Keith sighed as Shiro lightly scratched his scalp. Keith had the softest hair, Shiro thought. Softer than silk, softer than a woman’s hair.

It was in these moments when they were completely alone that Shiro could finally escape the memories from the Galra ship that looped in his brain over and over like a broken radio. The pilots all had to teach themselves meditation in order to survive the long hours sitting stationary on long trips to distant planets. Kissing Keith was like a meditation, because all Shiro could do was focus on the tilt of his head and the warmth coming off of his friend and the sensations in every part of his body, combining to form a symphony of  _ yes yes yes _ .

It was like coming home.

“Takashi,” Keith whispered, reluctantly pulling away.

“Yeah?”

“Do you hear something?”

Down the hallway, there was a slight thumping which Shiro recognized as footsteps. Suddenly every doubt in his mind disappeared that there really was a virtual director. While it was not as embarrassing as getting caught by the actual director, it was still quite uncomfortable, so Shiro and Keith quickly ducked under the desk.

There was silence, and Shiro couldn’t help but lean in and quickly kiss his friend again, touching him where his hip met his waist. Keith chuckled and Shiro shushed him. The door finally creaked open.

“Boys... I know you’re in here.”

That was odd. Since when did the director have such a high-pitched voice? And where did that British accent come from?

“That’s enough.”

A familiar light filled Shiro’s vision as he felt himself be pulled back to reality. He and Keith were still holding hands with their palms pressed to the control panel of the Virtual Reality interface.

Shiro turned around to see Allura standing in the doorway. She did not look angry, only amused. He quickly let go of Keith’s hand.

“I’ll let you off this time,” she smiled, “But I must know, where did you go?”

Shiro felt Keith looking at him. Neither of them were necessarily ashamed, but they both seemed to silently agree that their trip was private. There weren’t many secrets among the paladins. There was something thrilling about having a place just for themselves.

Shiro found himself saying, “Earth.”

Allura raised her eyebrows, but only said, “Try and stay out of my chambers.”

She escorted them out, and as they walked back to their rooms Shiro and Keith found themselves smiling without knowing quite why. It was only when Shiro was deposited back in his room that he realized:

In a way, it was the best night’s sleep either of them had had in ages.


	3. Chapter 3

Keith:

 

Keith felt like his insides were on fire.

"Would you," he gasped in between bouts of uncontrollable laughter, "Stop that?"

Shiro was laughing as well, but he relented and stopped tickling Keith. Keith pinned Shiro's arms behind his back and kissed him hard.

"I hate you."

He kissed Shiro again, after admiring the way his disheveled shock of white hair was sticking up and his dark eyes were shining. He let go of Shiro's arms when they heard footsteps.

"Practicing your wrestling, lads?"

Coran stood in the doorway, mustache bristling curiously.

"Something like that..." Keith murmured while he watched Shiro tried to stand up and regain his composure.

Coran smiled and disappeared behind the corner once more, reappearing promptly with a mop and a bucket. He began cleaning the training room. Keith watched him, briefly marveling at the fact that even though Altea was an mystical foreign civilization, they still used mops. Coran whistled a bit, and Shiro and Keith simultaneously decided to leave him to his work.

They wandered the hallway aimlessly, with the sort of content silence that only occurs between people who are totally comfortable with one another. In the silence, Keith's mind wandered back to a particularly poignant memory.

 

_There is a knock at the door, and Keith looks up suddenly from his calculations. There are more scribbles than equations on the page, and what little math he has written is scrawled in tiny, dark numbers, so condensed they are hardly legible even to Keith himself._

_"Yes?"_

_"It's your new roommate!"_

_Keith scrambles, attempting to smooth down the corners of his duvet. He brushes the food crumbs off of his desk and throws away five wrappers and a can of soda which he promptly realizes is brand new. He picks it out of the trash._

_"Um... Can I come in?"_

_In response, Keith runs over and slams the door open with more force than he intends. His roommate jumps._

_Standing in front of him is a slightly older boy. Keith tries to take him in, but damn, there is so much to look at._

_His hair is inky dark, cut close to his head on the sides in a style which is equally attractive and practical. His eyes glow like he is staring right into Keith. His shoulders are as broad as his waist is small. He looks like an action figure. Keith blinks, trying to keep from staring for too long at his chest._

Don't be weird. Hide your gay, Keith.

_The man holds his hand out, "I'm Takashi."_

_Keith takes the hand and shakes it slowly._

_"Keith."_

 

"Hey, Keith. You there, buddy?"

Keith was interrupted from his daydream by an older, whiter-haired Shiro.

"Hey," said Keith.

"I guess I'll say good night now, huh?"

Keith blinked up at the other man. Shiro's gaze was soft, looking down at him through incredibly long, dark lashes. He was genuinely trying to drop Keith off at his room, which somehow made Keith want him to stay the night even more.

"You _could_. Or..." Keith trailed off suggestively.

Shiro raised his eyebrows.

"I'm trying to be a gentleman here, Kogane."

Keith cringed a bit from being referred to in such a formal manner. It reminded him of the director, a man so polite it seemed that behind everything he said was a hidden message. He knew Shiro was joking, however.

Keith held one of Shiro's biceps and kissed his cheek lightly.

"That's all I would do," Keith breathed, "If I just wanted you to walk me home."

A smile teased the edges of the frown that had been stuck on Shiro's face by default, ever since his year on the Galra ship. Keith wanted to see that smile. He stood on his toes and gently pressed their mouths together. Keith felt that familiar electricity buzzing through him every time they were together. It was as if their touches were a time machine, back to the happy days on earth. Back to the time the only thing they had to worry about was passing their next flying exam. Keith held Shiro's face gently with both hands, pressing their mouths together until Shiro reciprocated, tilting their heads gently. Keith felt calloused fingers brush the back of his neck under his hair, a particularly sensitive area that sent tingles down his spine.

"Mm... maybe," Shiro said, more than a little out of breath, "We shouldn't do this out here."

"You're... right," said Keith, really not wanting to pull away just yet, "Let's go."

He held Shiro firmly by the wrist and pulled him into his room.

 

Shiro:

 

Shiro remembers their first time perfectly.

 

_Keith's hands are everywhere. Shiro tries to keep himself calm by reciting the five cardinal rules of the flight institute._

One, always obey your superior officers.

_Keith smiles gently, as if to say, okay, I'll go first. He pulls off his shirt to reveal his torso, which is not exactly muscular, but that makes him even more appealing. His skin looks so soft. Shiro's brain somehow cannot get his hand to reach out and touch. He curses his virginity for making him so cautious. He wants everything all at once, which is so overwhelming that he ends up doing nothing at all._

Two, never raise your voice, even in a simulation.

_"Come here," Keith says quietly, obviously sensing his hesitation._

Three, always pay attention to your surroundings.

_He pats the bed next to him where Shiro sits, making his side of the bed dip a bit more than Keith's._

_"Close your eyes"_

_He closes his eyes and turns his head to face his friend. He feels Keith's lips on his, feather light. He can picture him exactly, hair slightly disheveled, eyes opening into slits every so often, inky purple in the darkness._

Four, upon exiting the vehicle on an unknown world, make sure to stick close to your crew-mates.

_He can smell Keith's detergent. Keith keeps his body as meticulously clean as he keeps his room messy. Keith slides his hands down to rest lightly on Shiro's hips, and even that simple touch has him completely unraveled._

Five, always be honest with your crew-mates.

_"Keith, I just need you to know, I've never..."_

_He finally opens his eyes and Keith is looking up at him curiously. He is beautiful in the dim light, eyes dark and vivid, bare skin almost luminescent._

_"Never," Keith slips his hand in Shiro's, "Done this?"_

_"Um, I've done that..."_

_Keith kisses him on the cheek, his breath so soft and warm it tickles._

_"This?"_

_Shiro just nods. He is nervous, but Keith's chaste teasing is making him smile so broadly he can barely feel his face._

_Keith's other hand trails down his body. Shiro can’t look down, but he feels Keith getting closer and closer to the place where he desires him most._

_"What about..."_

_Shiro inhales sharply._

_"This?"_

**Author's Note:**

> Just a bit of Sheith fluff! I'll be bouncing around the series a bit so just bear with me if there are any inconsistencies. I HC Keith as 19 and Shiro as 21, so please set aside any judgement regarding their ages. Thanks <3


End file.
